Director of Highway Engineering

About Us

Larson Design Group (LDG) is an award-winning, employee-owned Architecture, Engineering, and Consulting Firm. Guided by our core values, we're expanding our team, opening new offices, and adding new offerings to provide responsive, innovative solutions to clients nationwide.

Being 100% employee-owned directly impacts our culture: it drives our decision-making, motivates our teams, increases our productivity, improves retention, and contributes to the future success of our company. Our culture is one where we work hard for our clients and for each other - and we have fun collaborating, sharing experience and expertise, and learning along the way. We're passionate about delivering exceptional quality, elevating client relationships, enriching the careers and lives of our employee owners, and enhancing the communities where we live and serve.

At LDG, we strive to create an organization where people want to work. We offer a flexible work environment, paid training for required licensures, competitive benefits, bonus plans, and a company-funded Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) while supporting your professional and personal growth.

Your Opportunity + Impact

Are you a seasoned leader in highway engineering looking to drive innovation, lead high-profile projects, a great seasoned staff, and make a lasting impact? Larson Design Group (LDG) is seeking a Director of Highway Engineering to oversee the strategic direction, project execution, and business development efforts for our highway design division. This role is ideal for a dynamic leader with a passion for delivering high-quality infrastructure solutions while fostering client relationships and mentoring a talented team of professionals.

As the Director of Highway Engineering, you will play a critical role in advancing our firm's presence in PennDOT, PA Turnpike, and local municipality projects, ensuring the successful execution of large-scale highway initiatives. Your leadership will directly contribute to the firm's growth, innovation, and industry reputation.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Business Growth

• Develop and implement annual business goals and multi-year strategic plans for the Highway Design Department.
• Lead business development efforts, identify new markets, and expand our presence in key regions.
• Cultivate and maintain strong client relationships with PennDOT, PA Turnpike Commission, local municipalities, and other agencies.
• Drive sales and revenue growth, ensuring the highway division achieves annual goals.

Project & Program Management

• Manage high-impact highway design projects, ensuring on-time, on-budget, and high-quality project delivery.
• Oversee project planning, design, budgets, schedules, and quality control, ensuring adherence to industry standards and client expectations.
• Lead contract negotiations, prepare technical and price proposals, and manage project risks effectively.
• Ensure compliance with environmental, survey, and permitting regulations relevant to highway design projects.

Team Leadership & Mentorship

• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of skilled project managers, engineers, and technicians providing career development guidance and annual performance evaluations.
• Foster a collaborative and high-performance work environment, promoting professional growth and knowledge sharing.

Innovation & Technical Excellence

• Drive technical excellence and innovation by implementing best practices in highway design.
• Promote and support Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) processes to minimize design errors and optimize project efficiency.
• Stay ahead of industry trends and advocate for new technologies and methodologies to enhance project outcomes.

Financial Reporting & Performance Management

• Work closely with the Operations Manager and Financial Analyst to monitor the department's financial performance, including sales, revenue, profit, backlog, and overhead.
• Monitor billings and collections to ensure accurate and timely financial tracking.
• Assure that invoices are promptly developed and delivered, leading efforts in accounts receivable (AR) collection in coordination with Finance.
• Attend negotiation meetings with project managers (PMs) and clients as necessary.
• Execute budget supplements within permissible financial limits.
• Collaborate with PMs to assess the accuracy of project financial status and take corrective actions as needed.
• Prepare backlog reporting for Board presentations.
• Routinely review Project Manager Profitability and implement corrective actions as necessary.

Education + Experience

• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Civil Engineering.
• Minimum of 15 years of experience in highway design and project management.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred (or other relevant professional certification).
• Proven track record in winning and managing medium to large-scale PennDOT and/or PA Turnpike projects.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong leadership, client engagement, and business development skills.
• Ability to manage multi-million-dollar projects while ensuring financial and operational efficiency.
• Exceptional public speaking, presentation, and delegation abilities.

EEO Statement

Larson Design Group, Inc. is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO) that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization.